Tip: Click the blue text above “FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting” to learn more about marketing and distributor internal management. Marketing is a process of discovering and satisfying needs, and it is also a complex process because it involves interaction with people.
The Key A sturdy lock hung on a big door. A crowbar tried with all its might but couldn't pry it open. Then the key came, slipped its slender body into the keyhole, and with a gentle turn, the lock clicked open with a "pop." The crowbar asked in surprise, "Why did I try so hard and fail, but you opened it so easily?" The key replied, "Because I understand its heart best."
The Ship Lloyd's of London once bought a ship from an auction market. Launched in 1894, this ship had encountered icebergs 138 times, run aground 116 times, caught fire 13 times, and had its masts snapped by storms 207 times in the Atlantic, yet it never sank. Based on its incredible history and the substantial insurance premiums it generated, Lloyd's decided to buy it back from the Dutch and donate it to the nation. Now the ship is moored at the National Maritime Museum in Salen Port, England. However, what made the ship famous was a lawyer who came to visit. He had just lost a case, and his client had recently committed suicide. Although it wasn't his first lost case or the first suicide he encountered, he always felt a sense of guilt. He didn't know how to comfort those who had suffered misfortunes in business. When he saw the ship at the Salen Maritime Museum, an idea struck him: why not let them come and see this ship? So he copied down the ship's history and hung it, along with photos, in his law office. Whenever a business client asked him to defend a case, win or lose, he would suggest they go see the ship. It teaches us: ships sailing the sea are never without scars. Despite repeated setbacks, being able to endure with resilience and perseverance is the secret of success.
Gold Panning Many people went to a place to pan for gold, and one fellow went too. He noticed that people had to cross a river to get there, so he had a bright idea: instead of panning for gold, he started a ferry service on the river. His reasoning: whether going to pan for gold or returning, everyone needed to cross the river. Transporting gold out also required boats. Those returning, whether they found gold or not, needed to cross back home. After making money from the ferry, he built a bridge and charged tolls. He then built hotels, casinos, and brothels at the bridgehead, turning both sides of the river into the largest commercial area, boosting land values, and then venturing into real estate.
Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean? A daughter complained to her father about her life, saying everything was so difficult. She didn't know how to cope and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling; it seemed that as soon as one problem was solved, a new one appeared. Her father, a chef, took her into the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed them on high heat. Soon the water boiled. He put carrots in one pot, eggs in the second, and ground coffee beans in the third. He let them boil without saying a word. The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After about 20 minutes, he turned off the heat, scooped the carrots into a bowl, the eggs into another, and ladled the coffee into a cup. Then he turned to her and asked, "Dear, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. He asked her to come closer and feel the carrots. She did and noticed they were soft. Then he asked her to take an egg and break it. After peeling off the shell, she saw a hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Tasting the rich aroma, she smiled. She timidly asked, "Father, what does this mean?" He explained that all three faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and came out soft. The egg went in fragile and came out hard. The coffee beans changed the water itself! So, are you like the carrot, appearing strong but wilting, becoming soft and losing strength when faced with pain and adversity? Are you like the egg, originally pliable inside, but after death, breakup, divorce, or unemployment, becoming tough and stubborn? Your shell looks the same, but have you become hard and rigid due to a strong character and inner resolve? Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the boiling water that causes it pain, and when it reaches 212 degrees, it releases its best aroma. The hotter the water, the better it tastes. If you are like the coffee bean, you become better and improve your surroundings even in the worst situations.
The Moose and the Gas Mask There was a salesman famous for selling anything. He had sold a toothbrush to a dentist, a loaf of bread to a baker, and a TV to a blind man. But his friend told him, "You're only a great salesman if you sell a gas mask to a moose." So the salesman traveled far to the north, to a forest inhabited only by moose. "Hello!" he said to the first moose he met, "You must need a gas mask." "The air here is so fresh, why would I need one?" said the moose. "Now everyone has a gas mask." "Too bad, but I don't need one." "Just wait," said the salesman, "You'll need one soon." With that, he began building a factory in the middle of the moose's forest. "You're crazy!" his friend said. "No, I just want to sell a gas mask to a moose." When the factory was completed, toxic fumes billowed from the tall chimney. Soon the moose came to the salesman and said, "Now I need a gas mask." "That's what I thought," said the salesman, and sold him one. "What a great product!" the salesman said excitedly. "Other moose need gas masks now. Do you have more?" "You're in luck, I have thousands." "But what does your factory produce?" asked the moose curiously. "Gas masks," replied the salesman succinctly.
One Sale A young man from the countryside applied for a sales position at the city's "world's largest" department store that had "everything." The boss asked, "Have you ever worked as a salesman before?" He replied, "I used to be a door-to-door peddler in my village." The boss liked his wit: "You can start tomorrow. I'll check on you at closing time." The day seemed too long and tough for the poor country boy, but he managed to endure until 5 PM, almost closing time. The boss came and asked, "How many sales did you make today?" "One," the young man replied. "Only one?" the boss said, surprised. "Our salespeople usually make 20 to 30 sales a day. How much did you sell?" "$300,000," the young man answered. "How did you sell that much?" the boss asked, stunned. "Well," the young man said, "A man came in to buy something. I sold him a small fishhook, then a medium one, and finally a large one. Then I sold him small, medium, and large fishing lines. I asked where he was going fishing, and he said the seaside. I suggested he buy a boat, so I took him to the boat department and sold him a 20-foot schooner with two engines. Then he said his Volkswagen might not be able to tow such a big boat. So I took him to the car section and sold him a new Toyota luxury 'Cruiser.'" The boss stepped back, almost in disbelief, and asked, "A customer just came to buy a fishhook, and you sold him all that?" "No," the young salesman replied, "He came to buy a hair clip for his wife. I told him, 'Your weekend is ruined, why not go fishing?'"
Marketing is a process of discovering and satisfying needs, and it is also a complex process because it involves interaction with people.